Saturday, April 11, 2015

King to Garner to Scott: The Arc of History Is Too Damn Long

Rodney King at the hands of LAPD. Would have shot him today?

The MLK quote about the arc of justice history being long but bending toward justice is unsatisfactory in so many ways, not the least of which are the continuing list of black men and boys who have to die along its length.

Eric Garner was selling loose cigarettes. A short while later he was dead.

No one was charged in the case of Eric Garner, in spite of the illegal choke hold, the lack of any attempt to save his life, or the complete lack of necessity for arresting him in such a manner.

No video, no arrested cop? You bet your life.

The crime in these cases, aside from being black, is the lack of respecting authority. He had it coming. Why did he resist arrest? If he wasn't guilty, why did he run?

I hope we're witnessing the beginning of a sea change, but for now, for black Americans, the arc of justice is too damn long. And for America, it's beyond embarrassing. It's cause for utter condemnation. As a country we should be deeply ashamed, and galvanized for change.

About the American Human

The American Human is written by Calvin Ross, a retired teacher who at various points in life has been a musician, woodworker, restaurateur, narrator, English teacher in Japan, novelist, technology journalist, and private tutor to Japanese children here in the U.S.

Happily residing in the wine country of Sonoma County north of San Francisco, Calvin has lived in the Philippines, the Netherlands, and the aforementioned Japan, as well as in Chicago, Colorado, Georgia, and many different towns in California, including, of all places, the Mojave Desert.

Calvin, you may note quickly, is a liberal progressive who doesn't think being called a socialist is all that bad, especially since he sort of would like living in Denmark if it weren't so cold. He blogs because he can.